Is this markup normal?

[dentheman]

I went to the stealership to sit on some bikes and to see if the cash I have saved so far was getting somewhat close to the cost of a bike.

I specifically asked about the 2010 Ninja 250 with a msrp of $3999. I knew I didn't have enough cash, but I told the salesman how much I could pay and asked if he could give me a good OTD price just so I would have an idea of how much more cash I would need. He said he would get as close to my dollar amount as he could, and went to talk to the manager.

Then he came back and said the BEST HE COULD DO WAS $4900.99! (That's right, couldn't even take off the 99 cents!) IS THIS NORMAL?

I do realise there is sales tax of 6.25%, registration fees, etc, etc. but the price still seems extremely high. I don't think he even tried to give me a reasonable figure.

[alanmcorcoran]

It's a typical starting point. If the bike is popular and in short supply, it may also be the ending point. Typically new bikes are loaded with $500 shipping fee $200-$400 assembly fee and possibly some other fees (safety check) and then you have the tax and registration fees.

You'll do a lot better if you look at an '09. I don't know about that particular model (I think it is one of the more popular ones) but it's not unusual for a larger dealer to have "NEW" bikes that are two and even as much as three years old. I bought my second two bikes as "New" old models after I got hosed on my "NEW" new GZ.

If he didn't really think you were ready to buy, he may have "blown you out the door." This is what salesmen do when they don't want to waste time with a "tire-kicker." (Don't ask me how I know this...)

If you do your homework, even if the bike is popular, you should be able to find a "new" new one somewhere for list, plus shipping plus tax. About 4800! I bought an '09 KLR for about 2K below list plus shipping and tax.

Good luck. BTW the dealer doesn't care whether you have tax or finance. In fact, many times they make more money off you if you finance. They only care if you have cash if you aren't credit worthy.

[Water Warrior 2]

I think the baby ninja is a popular small bore rocket that will always demand a good price. Do as Alan suggested and look for a new in the crate older bike. The recent fuddle duddle with the economy has left a lot of unsold bikes in warehouses. The baby ninja may be one of them.

[dentheman]

I don't think he blew me out the door, we were having a pretty good conversation about us both being stationed at the base here, and he was showing me some of the bikes and explaining some of their particulars. I think he was glad to have something to do since they were all just sitting around with no customers because the temperature was in the teens and there were a couple inches of snow on the ground. He pointed out a couple bikes he thought would be good for me, and steered me away from even considering the in-line 4 I was looking at. He said the best one he had for me was the 09 Vulcan 500. That is a beauty!

I know they make more money if I finance through them, but I don't want to pay the interest and full coverage insurance.

At least I got a ballpark figure of how much cash I might have to spend above msrp if I buy new. But now a used bike is looking more attractive.

[alanmcorcoran]

Was the 09 Vulcan new? Should be able to do a lot better on that one (relative to list.)

[bonehead]

IMHO there are so many clean, low milage bikes for sale that there is no reason to give the dealer the 1000+ he adds on for a new sale.
And you can usually get "more" bike for your money.

[jonathan180iq]

Yep. Buy used.

[frempath]

You may also want to look at a different dealer. One a little way down the road may be more amicable.
Broadening your search to new old stock and lightly used as suggested is also a good idea. You may also want to think about what you want the bike to do and consider alternatives. The 250 ninja is a good bike, but would a Buell Blast or Suzuki GS 500 do the job?

[mrlmd1]

Definitely look at used bikes. A year ago on Ebay I got a 2006 Ninja250 with less than 4000 miles in pristine condition for $1600, and I sold it 9 mos. later for $1900 (could have gotten more).
FWIW, many members on the multiple Ninja 250 forums prefer the older gen Ninjas - they are quicker. easier to work on, better gas mileage, much less expensive, and only very slightly different in bodywork which is hard to notice. If that's what you want, definitely look at a few years old used bike, with all the required maintenance done on it.
And you can tell the dealer that the shipping fees, setup and prep fees and everything except the sales tax and registration fees are BS, that's his cost of doing business. I did that with a dealer negotiating the price of a new bike and he IMMEDIATELY took them off, hoping he could get away with them. If your dealer wants to keep that bike sitting around indefinately or until some sucker pays that price, than he can keep paying his loan or floor costs on it forever. There is a Kawi dealer near here who advertises those bikes for $2999, but OTD winds up about $4300. Kiss my butt and keep the bike. There is an ad here on CL for a brand new Vulcan 500 with 61 miles on it that the owner decided he doesn't want a motorcycle and he's asking about $4300 and will undoubtedly take less as his price has been slowly coming down from originally about $4900. There's also 2009 Yamaha V Star 950 looks new, 1810 miles, for $4000, as the 80 year old owner recently died. Look around, there's lots of options, and the season and weather help lower the price. Used bikes also often come with accessories like windshields, saddlebags, tankbags, sissybars, etc, and sometimes gear thrown in, and as you know the prices of those things new is ridiculous.

[dentheman]

Was the 09 Vulcan new? Should be able to do a lot better on that one (relative to list.)
One mile on the odometer. And it called my name when I sat on it (maybe it was just a little euphoria on my part).

[blaine]

One mile on the odometer. And it called my name when I sat on it (or maybe it was just a little euphoria on my part)..

The 500 is a sweet little engine that gives good performance and fuel mileage(about 50 mpg) and might be a little cheaper to insure as it is a cruiser.
:cool: :)

[alantf]

and might be a little cheaper to insure as it is a cruiser.


I changed my insurance company last month (for the Geezer) The company I'd been with for 4 years wanted €198 for insurance plus €82 for roadside assistance/get you home. The new company (recommended by a friend who'd had great service from them) charged me €124 including assistance. A saving of €156 ($215 at today's exchange rate) It pays to shop around.

BTW, the roadside assistance (Royal Automobile Club España) got in touch to find out why I had cancelled. When I told them they were too expensive, they replied that they could do me a deal through my bank. When I asked them why they hadn't offered me a deal BEFORE I cancelled, they couldn't answer, so :fu: to them.

[dentheman]

The Lubbock, TX, city council is about to pass an ordinance where anyone found driving without insurance will be ticketed (as in the past), but ALSO have their vehicle impounded at the time of ticket issuance. Apparently many municipalities are similarly impounding uninsured vehicles.

By the way, the only reasons I asked the salesman about the Ninja 250 are that I knew the msrp, and he had one there. I could still buy one, but am more inclined to look for something a little bigger. But it did give me an idea about what additional costs to look for above msrp if I was to buy new.

[bonehead]

'Bout time. hope all of tx does it.

[alantf]

'Bout time. hope all of tx does it.

In England, police cars are fitted with numberplate (licence plate) reading cameras that take photos of every vehicle in the vicinity. All insurance, tax, licence etc. details of every vehicle in England are stored on a central computer, so if a licence plate comes up without all the details being correct, it flashes a warning in milliseconds, so the vehicle can be stopped. Anything wrong, & the vehicle is immediately impounded,until the insurance etc. is paid, the fine paid, & the towing & storage charges paid. :2tup:

[frempath]

In Florida insurance companies can suspend a drivers license for non payment. They are supposed to check to see if a lapsed policy has been picked up by another company and send a registered letter prior to the suspension. My wife, who likes to hunt for insurance deals, found out that this does not always (seldom) happens. She was bringing me home from work one day and got pulled over because the cop saw a woman driver and the car owner's license was suspended by her old insurance company. She was ticketed for driving on a suspended license and failure to have insurance.

She went to court, showed that there was no lapse in insurance, had the no coverage dropped, but still was found guilty of driving on a suspended license.

The cop that pulled us over said that the same thing had happened to him and that he had to work a desk until his was cleared up.

Ain't it great when law enforcement is turned over to for profit corporations?

[Water Warrior 2]

Now that is just plain wrong.

[waya]

with a msrp of $3999. ... said the BEST HE COULD DO WAS $4900.99!

Hrmmm when I got mine from http://www.wowmotorcycles.com/ the dealer prep fee was $250, taxes were ~$178 I think, and tag/title was $49. The price was $2750 and OTD I was ~ $3200.

[davidc83]

If you are looking for a 250, find a dealer with 2009 Kawasaki KLX 250sf. I bought one in January for $2999. Out the door was higher because of 9% taxes, state of Florida first time titleing a vehicle rip off, tags, title transfer, and shipping. I did get them to remove the assembly and handling fee. The taxes, state titling fee, transfer fee, license plates: you have to pay.

[Water Warrior 2]

If you are looking for a 250, find a dealer with 2009 Kawasaki KLX 250sf. I bought one in January for $2999. Out the door was higher because of 9% taxes, state of Florida first time titleing a vehicle rip off.
Be happy you aren't here. ......... 12% each and every time the bike changes hands. And insurance can be as much as 10 times higher than U.S. rates.

[mrlmd1]

That Vulcan 500 I mentioned a few posts ago with 61 miles on it on CL is down to asking $3495 and I bet he'll take less. It's worth a trip over here and then ride it home or get a trailer and drive here and bring it home yourself, or for a few hundred dollars ship it home (and I can give you a great reference for that- the guy that brought my TW200 to me from Arizona in an enclosed trailer). That Vulcan is $1500 less than the Ninja, and that's a lot of money, with a big difference between the two, and you'll keep the Vulcan a lot longer,.
Don't pay anywhere near what those guys are asking for those bikes.

[davidc83]

You can go to a Suzuki dealer and buy a new 2009 GS500F for less than $3400. Most Suzuki dealers have them in stock.